1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information recording apparatus which performs at least one of recording and reproduction of information with an optical beam in or from an optical information recording medium enclosed in a cartridge such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk. More particularly, the invention relates to a disk cartridge loading mechanism in such apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a conventional example of such a disk cartridge loading mechanism in an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the disk cartridge loading mechanism is so constructed that a cartridge 2 enclosing a disk recording medium 1 (hereinafter referred to simply as a disk) is vertically moved up and down by a cartridge holder (hereinafter referred to simply as a holder) 4 between an insertion position (up position) where the cartridge 2 is to be horizontally inserted into the holder in the direction of arrow a and a loaded position (down position) where the disk 1 in the inserted cartridge 2 is to be loaded onto a disk table. In this arrangement, four rollers 4a are provided on the side surfaces of holder 4 as to be engaged with associated slope portions 3e in a guide cam 3 which moves in the directions of arrows a-a'. Here, the guide cam 3 is always urged by an unrepresented spring in the direction of arrow a'.
In loading the cartridge 2 it is inserted and pressed in through a cartridge slot 22a on a front panel 22, as shown in FIG. 2, whereby a leading end of cartridge 2 rotates a trigger arm (not shown) restricting a motion of the guide cam 3. This releases the restriction of guide cam 3, so that a spring force moves the guide cam 3 in the direction of arrow a'. During this operation a shutter of the cartridge is arranged to open with the insertion of cartridge 2 by a lever set on the holder 4, though not shown. The rollers 4a on holder 4 are guided into the associated slope portions 3e provided in the moving guide cam 3, and with descent of holder 4, the disk 1 in cartridge 2 is loaded on a turntable of spindle motor 5. Once the disk 1 is loaded on the turntable as described, the disk 1 is rotated with rotation of the turntable and a movement control is started for a carriage 6 on which a light pickup 7 and a floating or flying magnetic head 10 as an external magnetic field generating device are mounted. Information is recorded or reproduced using the light pickup 7 and the magnetic head 10 under the movement control (see FIG. 1).
In this case, the floating magnetic head 10 is supported on a support arm 9 so that it is rockable in the directions of arrows d-d' about a fulcrum 6a set behind the carriage (or ahead of the cartridge in the insertion direction) and is always urged by a torsion spring 11 in the direction d. A projecting portion 9a is provided behind the support arm 9 as being restricted in operation by an unrepresented mechanism such as a solenoid (at the position in FIG. 2). Then, with energization of the solenoid the operation restriction is released to allow landing of the magnetic head onto the disk (see FIG. 1). Namely, the mechanism is so arranged that if a power supply is interrupted to the drive power source, the energization of the solenoid 12 is automatically interrupted so as to withdraw the magnetic head 10 from the disk 1.
In ejection of the cartridge 2 the energization of the solenoid 12 is first stopped to withdraw the magnetic head 10 from the disk 1. After that, the spindle motor 5 is stopped and an eject motor 17 is activated to rotate so that a bent-down piece 3d formed from the guide cam 3 is driven in the direction of arrow a to move the guide cam 3 so as to raise the holder 4 from the loaded position to the insertion position by the reverse operation as opposite to the loading operation. Then the cartridge 2 is pushed out of the holder 4 while closing the shutter by the unrepresented lever (returning to the state of FIG. 2). As described, the ejection operation of cartridge 2 is carried out by driving the eject motor 17 under a control command of a control circuit. In a case that some anomaly occurs in the drive device and the control system thereof because of interruption of service during operation and therefore that the eject motor 17 cannot be used for the ejection, a mechanism permitting a manual operation is preliminarily prepared for forcibly ejecting the cartridge manually. For example, the mechanism is so arranged that a hole 22b for insertion is perforated through the front panel 22, a forcible ejection tool 18 is inserted through the hole, the tool is brought into contact with a bent-down portion 3b of guide cam 3, and the guide cam 3 is forced to move in the direction of arrow a, ejecting the cartridge 2 manually.
There is another type of disk cartridge loading mechanism using no eject motor for the ejection of the disk cartridge, which is arranged to eject the cartridge by manually pressing an ejection button exposed to the outside of a apparatus thereinto. This type of mechanism is popularly used as a loading mechanism of floppy disk. In this type of mechanism the guide cam is not moved by a motor but by hand. The basic operation is the same as in the forced ejection.
Incidentally, the conventional disk cartridge loading mechanism as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is arranged on the assumption that the drive power source is in an off state upon the manual forced ejection of the cartridge as being described. The forced ejection mechanism shown in this conventional example is, however, arranged as operable even in any state of the drive. Even if a user should erroneously insert the forcible ejection tool through the slot in the front panel during recording or reproduction, the guide cam would move even during high-speed rotation of the disk and during landing of the magnetic head, which would raise the cartridge to eject it. With this erroneous operation, the cartridge shutter will be shut during the ejection, so that the shutter could damage the magnetic head. Also, the thus damaged magnetic head would be again landed onto the disk, which could raise the worst case, for example, destruction of the drive, and further data crash. In addition, the disk rotating at a high speed could collide with the internal wall of the cartridge case during the forced ejection, which could destroy the disk.
Also in the case of the mechanism for ejecting the disk cartridge manually, it is arranged as being operable irrespective of the condition of the drive power source. If the ejection is to be forced during data recording into the medium, a laser beam in a recording operation would cross tracks on the medium, which could destroy the data on the disk or even the disk itself, as described above.